Rights statement: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-policy-and-society/article/div-classtitleefficacy-of-telephone-information-and-advice-on-welfare-the-need-for-realist-evaluationdiv/D6EF737186A89530E5796003E46BDD9B The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Social Policy and Society, 17 (1), pp 1-21 2016, © 2016 Cambridge University Press.
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Efficacy of telephone information and advice on welfare
T2 - the need for realist evaluation
AU - Harding, Andrew J. E.
AU - Parker, Jonathan
AU - Hean, Sarah
AU - Hemingway, Ann
N1 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/social-policy-and-society/article/div-classtitleefficacy-of-telephone-information-and-advice-on-welfare-the-need-for-realist-evaluationdiv/D6EF737186A89530E5796003E46BDD9B The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Social Policy and Society, 17 (1), pp 1-21 2016, © 2016 Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - In the context of increased marketisation in welfare provision, formal information and advice (I&A) is widely assumed to enable users, as consumers, to make informed choices about services, support and care. There is emerging evidence that telephone I&A services represent important ways of providing such services. This article proposes a framework that identifies key areas of focus delineating the efficacy of I&A, which is then used in a comprehensive literature review to critique existing research on outcomes and/or impact of telephone I&A. Existing, predominately quantitative, research has critical weaknesses. There is a lack of adequate contextual focus, understanding agency, and how I&A is used in different contexts to influence causal processes. The article contends that the efficacy of I&A is not adequately reported and provides much needed theoretical clarity in key areas, including the desirability of further realist evaluation approaches.
AB - In the context of increased marketisation in welfare provision, formal information and advice (I&A) is widely assumed to enable users, as consumers, to make informed choices about services, support and care. There is emerging evidence that telephone I&A services represent important ways of providing such services. This article proposes a framework that identifies key areas of focus delineating the efficacy of I&A, which is then used in a comprehensive literature review to critique existing research on outcomes and/or impact of telephone I&A. Existing, predominately quantitative, research has critical weaknesses. There is a lack of adequate contextual focus, understanding agency, and how I&A is used in different contexts to influence causal processes. The article contends that the efficacy of I&A is not adequately reported and provides much needed theoretical clarity in key areas, including the desirability of further realist evaluation approaches.
KW - efficacy
KW - impact
KW - outcome
KW - realist evaluation
KW - Welfare information and advice
U2 - 10.1017/S1474746416000361
DO - 10.1017/S1474746416000361
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84986626747
VL - 17
SP - 1
EP - 21
JO - Social Policy and Society
JF - Social Policy and Society
SN - 1474-7464
IS - 1
ER -